Unleashing the Power of Time: Master the Art of Scheduling Messages with iOS 18

It’s busier than ever. Connectivity is everywhere. So it’s about time we transformed the way we message. The iOS 18 update to the Messages app gives you a new feature that’s sure to take your communication to a whole new dimension. Sound good? It’s now live on the devices that enable iOS and iPadOS 18 and is available to all. This feature lets you schedule messages (and it’s not just for the well-meaning slacker). Of course, that’s just the beginning. Let’s take a closer look at the details about how to use this feature, then review how to put it to work for you to take your messaging efforts to new heights.

Tapping into iOS 18’s Game-Changing Message Scheduler

Why Scheduled Messages Are Your New Best Friend

Picture it: in the middle of the night, you have an EPIPHANY!! What to do? You could send your colleague or best friend the brilliant idea, but it’s way too late in the evening for a message. You install the new iOS 18 update, and simply schedule your EMERGENCY EPIPHANY to arrive in your best friend’s inbox when you both are sleeping!

The Step-by-Step Guide to Scheduling Messages

Getting to your crystal ball: Start by either selecting an existing chat thread or creating a new one, then tap on the + icon to the left of the text box.

More Options, More Control: Tap More at the bottom bar, then Send Later. This takes you back to the messaging compose box, but you’ll also notice the addition of a blue clock with a date and time immediately above the drafted message.

Tap to Schedule: Tap the clock button to pick a time for your message to go out or tap the X to cancel the schedule. Finish composing your message and use the arrow button to add it to the queue.

Remember that the scheduling is based on your actual time zone (where you are right now), not the recipient’s. The recipient of your note will receive it at the desired time in their own time zone. That might seem obvious, but it’s very important for being on time.

Advance Your Messaging Game

Explore Beyond Scheduling

Sure, the ability to schedule messages is the big headliner, but append that to iOS 18 and you have enhancements aplenty, all designed to finesse your messaging experience. You can now select your emoji reaction from far beyond the six offered currently.

How to Tap Early into iOS 18

Dying to get a look at these revisions before fall? Go Beta. A Beta version can be glitchy, but it’s an early view of what’s coming down the pike, so that you can practise in advance.

A Final Tap: Embracing Novelty and Efficiency

With every iteration, iOS innovates to thoughtfully enhance the experience of its users with features that are at once novel and intuitive, simple and profoundly useful. iOS 18’s scheduled message feature is a case in point – a deceptively straightforward yet indispensable tool that is instinctively, seamlessly incorporated into the rhythms of our everyday life. If you employ its functionality strategically, you can guarantee your messages are not only sent, but successfully delivered, at just the right moment to maximise the impact of your communication.

Exploring the Essence of "Tap" in Technology

‘Tap’ is a verb, yes. But as I use it here, it is also a metaphorical portal to regularly used pathways in the world of hardware and software that for many make it easier to use digital technologies. A user ‘taps’ something and, instantly, a message is scheduled, a world of features in iOS 18 is opened up to them, or whatever else the command is programmed to do. It may make sophisticated technologies usable by all.

Put it all together and what we see is an empathetic layer of functionality being added to digital communication via iOS 18’s ability to schedule messages, demonstrating once more in our everyday interactions with digital devices that each click adds new capabilities to how we manage our relationships on a day-to-day basis. Whether you’re an efficiency expert, a communication pro or just someone who always wants their messages to arrive in a timely manner, iOS 18 is tapping into the future of messaging in a major way and ushering in a new era of digital dialogue.